The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-10-29
WOMAN AND HOME
HOW TO HANDLE THE KNIFE,
FORK AND SPOON.

Bringing UP Children.Furniture OF the
Sitting Room-What Kemedy:.Punctu-
ality-Care of Closet.-Care Of the
Feet-stocktng Mending-1tems.
To begin with, We know that the knife
never should be used as q medium Of convey
ing food from the plate to the mouth: then
the very naturalness and ease of the move
ment suggests (what table etiquette denlands)
that tho fork he raised laterally xith the
right lmnd-',ever twisted around so as to
bring the points of the fork at Il right angle
with the mouth. To do that an awkward
wrenching of tho elbow is isnecessary Happily
in this instance the easy and natural way is
the way Of good" society.
Among the refnements of this general idea
We class the taking but little food OH the fork
at time, moderation in this respect being
regarded as decided evidence of good breed
Ing and neat habits.
In considering the spoon all authorities
agree that IL is to be used for soup, straw
berries and cream, melon. that are too juicy
to be eaten with fork, preserves and al
kindred dishes, including the Roman punch
that forms so agreeable nn incident of the
we'll equipped dinner table.
With those who practice the last limit of
elegance each cover is accompanied by two
arge silver knives, small silver knife and
lfork for fish, an oyster fork, tablespoon and
three large forks In the center of this arma-
ment is the napkin, i'll the clean folds Of
! which is wrapped piece Of bread As each
plate or cover is used the accompanying
knife, fork and spoon 80 with it. Tho law
has it that fish must be eaten with silver
/. knife and fork. Most "made" dishes can and
should be eaten with the fork, but when it
comes to roast beef and the like, of course
tho knife, also, is Indispensable.
Between dinner proper and dessert every
thing OH the table save the cloth must le re.
moved. Then each sitter is provided with a
dessert plate, spoon. knife and fork Fresh
| fruits, such as apples and pears, should be
peeled with o silver knife, quartered and con-
veyed to the mouth with the fingers 1t is
also necessary to peel oranges, but 1t has Of
late come to be regarded as good thing to
adopt the Spanish fashion Of having them
peeled by tho servants and served on a silver
fork, the handle Of which serves as a con-
venient means for getting at the fruit.
Fashion as we'll as good taste requires that
grapes be eaten behind the half closed hand,
letting the skin fall into the hand unnotircd
and dropped thence to the plate.
Unless the salad be cut up before it is
brought forward, both knife and fork nro es-
sential, fact that Is too obvious to requir.
elaboration. This necessitates salad knife
and fork i'll addition to the equipments al
ready listed. The fact that saltcellarB nre
now placed with each plate makes it permis-
sible to serve oneself in this particular with
tho knife.
For tho black coffee after dinner the tniest
OF spoons are used. Some conscientious law.
givers have so profoundly felt their response
bility as TO carefully instruct US to guard
against putting the spoon too far into the
mouth. Particularly has the soup spoon its
rocks on which it may he wrecked, one of
which Is tho Kissing sound that often accom-
panies soup taking, and which excites the
amazenlent OF the we'll bred diner out
We are told that there are always persons
happy in their fashion Of eating as in every
thing that falls to them to do. Refined mun-
ners at table are regarded as infallible proof
OF innnte politeness or Of early good breed
tng.-Detroit Free Press.